Researchers at the University of Southampton have discovered that a group of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s Disease may be responsible for triggering Macular Degeneration, giving new hope for better treatment of the disease.

Macular Degeneration currently affects over 600,000 people in the UK and 50 million worldwide and predominantly affects over-50’s. In an ageing population, any advance which may either prevent or cure the condition could have a considerable impact on future healthcare costs.

Dr Arjuna Ratnayaka who led the study, said: "This novel discovery could open up new possibilities to understand how the aging retina becomes damaged. Such advances are important if we are to develop better AMD treatments in the future”. The research team now hopes to study how the proteins cause damage in order to establish preventative measures or treatment options.

Sources:

1. Science Daily:
   Alzheimer's disease proteins could be at fault for leading cause of vision loss among older people.

2. Daily Express online:
   : Protein linked to Alzheimer’s could also be behind most common form of blindness.